After general election setback, BJP banking on smaller allies for Jharkhand Assembly polls

More than a month after its sub-par performance in the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is trying to regroup and prepare for the upcoming Assembly elections in Jharkhand.

With just months left for the battle, the BJP leadership is hoping to return to power in the state. In the general elections, the BJP-led NDA won nine out of the 14 seats in Jharkhand.

Although the BJP and its ally All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) won the majority of the seats, some prominent BJP leaders lost to the Congress-JMM (Jharkhand Mukti Morcha) alliance.

BJP leaders’ defeats

To make the situation even more challenging for the BJP, Arjun Munda, former Chief Minister and Union Minister, and Sameer Oraon, president of the BJP’s Scheduled Tribe (ST) wing, were also defeated. The situation for the NDA became more complicated as Geeta Koda, wife of Madhu Koda, another former CM, also lost the polls.

BJP leaders feel that if the party returns to power after a gap of five years, former Munda will be one of the contenders for the Chief Minister’s post.

However, considering all its prominent tribal leaders lost the Lok Sabha elections, the BJP is banking on allying with smaller parties to expand its social and electoral base.

Wooing Jharkhand Party

This calls for the BJP to strengthen the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in the state. 

The first step in this direction is to woo the Jharkhand Party, a small outfit that is among the oldest parties to be active in the region. It had played a role in demanding a separate Jharkhand state, carved out of Bihar.

Arpana Hans, a Jharkhand Party leader, told The Federal: “We have offers from different political parties and a final decision will be taken after all our leaders decide on a possible alliance for the Assembly elections.

"It is true we are a small political party but we have been active for decades. We will join hands with any party that works for the development of the state.”

The BJP is also in talks with Ajit Kumar, former president of the Jharkhand Party who recently quit the outfit and is expected to join the BJP.

“There is no doubt that recently members of our party suffered a setback," remarked Hans. "These things happen in politics. Despite the setback, we are again ready to contest elections.”

Jairam Mahto factor

While the BJP leadership is planning to counter the INDIA alliance in Jharkhand, a new challenger is fast rising in state politics and is threatening to make inroads into the BJP’s voter base. It is the Jharkhand Bhasha Katiyan Sangharsh Samiti (JBKSS). 

The outcome of the Lok Sabha elections in Jharkhand came as a surprise to both the BJP and JMM-Congress alliance with the rise of the JBKSS.

Although the new party contested for the first time and is led by a student leader, Jairam Mahto, its candidates finished third in six of the eight Lok Sabha seats it contested. The impact of Mahto can be understood from the fact that both the BJP and Congress offered him a Lok Sabha ticket but the young leader chose to form his own party.

“We are only concerned about Jharkhand," Abhishek Kumar, a JBKSS leader, told The Federal. 

"We are not fighting for any caste. We are not here for tribal or non-tribal votes; our main concern is Jharkhand. The problem of unemployment is acute in Jharkhand. The law and order situation in Jharkhand is worsening, and no party is able to handle it. It has been 24 years since the formation of Jharkhand but the development process as not started," he added.